25 Bold Predictions for Week 13 of College Football

25 Bold Predictions for Week 13 of College Football

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Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

It's another edition of college football bold predictions. Time to jot up some of the most wacky and craziest stuff you can think of and see what happens come game day. As we witnessed last week, anything can happen in this unpredictable sport. And just when you think you've seen it all, something else happens that reminds you that you don't know jack.

Week 13 is right around the corner and the schedule is filled with potential upsets. Not only will heavy favorites fall to inferior opponents, but one receiver will have a 200-yard performance, a certain team will score at least 60 points and one game will include a pair of defensive touchdowns.

Just your typical day of college football.

And in case you think miracles can't happen, last week we correctly predicted that Mississippi State would keep Alabama in check and that USC would upset Stanford.

Note: These are bold predictions. Meaning that very few are supposed to be taken seriously. Relax.

Navy-San Jose State Forces You to Stay Home Friday Night

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Friday night is usually that one night you can go out and enjoy yourself before the weekend approaches and football has you chained to your couch. But don't leave to enjoy the town with Navy and San Jose State on tap.

Sure, you probably haven't seen a single minute of either team this season. However, the Spartans have a passing attack ranked 11th in the country, while the Midshipmen still have one of the best running games that is averaging more than 300 yards. Combine these two offenses, and you have yourself a recipe for high scoring and entertainment.

Forget that neither one of these teams are ranked.

Stay indoors on Friday night and enjoy what should be an interesting game.

UCF-Rutgers Comes Down to Last-Second Field Goal

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UCF is going to give its fans a few more grey hairs with a second consecutive game that comes down to the last second. Rutgers isn't nearly the same caliber as Houston, but the Scarlet Knights are just one win away from qualifying for a bowl appearance.

They will fight to reach the postseason for the third straight season. They'll also be very upset after getting blown out 52-17 to Cincinnati on their home field.

The Knights are the better team on both sides of the ball and have home-field advantage. This game truly shouldn't even be close. But desperate teams seem to play better than they actually are. Rutgers will find a way to take this game down to the wire.

Tommy Rees Throws the Game Away

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Tommy Rees has thrown a combined four interceptions in the last two games. He's starting to transform into the turnover machine he's been known as his entire career.

The good news is that he will play his final game at Notre Dame Stadium. The bad news is that it's against a BYU defense that has forced 20 turnovers. Nine of those turnovers have been forced in the last three games. The Cougars rely on pressure, fly to the football and force the quarterback to make quick decisions.

Rees will turn the ball over at least three times and the Irish will lose.

There are only a couple more games of this, Irish fans.

Georgia Scores 60-Plus Points

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Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

After losing the way Georgia did last week, oh, I feel bad for whomever the Bulldogs run into. Look at that, it's Kentucky, a program that can't do anything right on either side of the ball and has lost five of its last six games against Georgia.

Get ready for the beat down of your life.

The Bulldogs aren't going to hold back until all of this year's frustration is released. And why should they? It's been a highly disappointing season with all of the injuries and creative ways they have found to lose games.

It's also Aaron Murray's last game at Sanford Stadium. He's going to leave Georgia fans with something positive to remember.

San Diego State Beats Boise State

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For the second straight season, Boise State will lose to San Diego State.

Let's face it, the Broncos are a shell of themselves from years past. They've lost to every decent opponent they have played this season and simply don't intimidate teams like they used to. Meanwhile, the Aztecs are feeling good about themselves winning six of their last seven games and getting the Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium.

San Diego State has the second-best defense in the MWC and a respectable passing game led by junior quarterback Quinn Kaehler.

The Aztecs will outmuscle college football's favorite underdog.

Sammy Watkins Scores a Touchdown 3 Different Ways

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Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Sammy Watkins is playing like the receiver everybody knew and loved when he first stepped on a college football field. He looks comfortable again and has had three straight games with more than 100 receiving yards. Unfortunately for Clemson fans, Watkins is playing his last game at Memorial Stadium, as he's likely going to pack his bags for the NFL draft.

Who is the opponent?

Citadel.

Why not have a little fun?

Have Tajh Boyd throw Watkins a touchdown pass, let him run in for a score on a reverse and then have him toss a touchdown to a wide-open Martavis Bryant.

Let the explosive receiver go out with a bang.

Oregon-Arizona Go into Overtime

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What happened to Oregon?

After losing to Stanford, the Ducks only scored 44 points against Utah. Still a truckload of points, but not the typical overwhelming amount of digits that we're used to seeing from the team out west.

One team that is capable of matching that production is Arizona. The Wildcats have an incredible rushing attack led by Ka'Deem Carey and the home crowd of Arizona Stadium can be tough on visiting teams.

The Ducks should have new motivation with Stanford losing to USC, but Arizona is also looking to snap a five-game losing streak to Oregon.

This game has overtime written all over it.

Bill Belton Scores 3 Touchdowns

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Bill Belton has had a fabulous season for Penn State and should be licking his chops with Nebraska being the upcoming opponent. The Cornhuskers have the eighth-worst rushing defense in the Big Ten and have allowed seven rushing touchdowns in the last three games.

Ding, ding, ding.

Belton will carry the ball at least 25 times in this game and find the end zone with ease. His shiftiness in the open field will cause many Nebraska defenders to miss and the junior running back will have the best game of his career.

The struggle for Nebraska continues.

Marion Grice Scores 6 Total Touchdowns

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While UCLA may have a dominant defensive front, it does tend to give up huge plays in the running game. The Bruins run defense is ranked eighth in the Pac-12 and has allowed eight rushing touchdowns in the last four games.

Unfortunately, UCLA has yet to face a running back as versatile as Marion Grice. The senior is not only the workhorse runner for the Sun Devils, but he's also more than capable of making his living catching the ball out of the backfield.

He's scored 20 total touchdowns and has topped 100 rushing yards in three of the last four games. Grice will have a career performance against Arizona State's Pac-12 rival.

Brett Hundley Throws 3 Picks

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Has Brett Hundley finally turned the corner?

It appears that way, as he's gone three straight games without throwing an interception.

However, if you can pressure the sophomore quarterback, he will make mistakes. UCLA has allowed 23 sacks on the year and majority of those games are when Hundley struggles the most. He gets careless with the ball and makes boneheaded decisions due to frustration.

Arizona State has 25 sacks on the year and some incredible pass-rushers in Carl Bradford, Davon Coleman and Will Sutton. The Sun Devils will get after Hundley and force him into a trio of interceptions.

UCLA Gets Upset

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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Six touchdowns from an Arizona State running back and several picks from the UCLA quarterback, what else did you expect?

Arizona State and UCLA are two college football teams that have been hard to read this season. Right when you're ready to believe that either team is ready to take that next step, they let you down. Arizona State seems to have finally figured things out by winning five straight games. The offense is scoring points in bunches and the defense is coming up with more game-changing plays.

UCLA is also playing well but still experiences mental lapses late in games with turnovers and penalties.

Arizona State will come away with its third road victory in four weeks.

Missouri Loses to Ole Miss

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Don't let the rankings fool you, Ole Miss is no joke.

Ever since barely losing to Texas A&M, the Rebels have won four straight games and are playing with a lot more confidence. The offense has scored more than 50 points twice in the last three games and the defense has come away with 23 tackles for loss during those contests. Add that to the fact this meeting will be played at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and the Tigers will have their paws full.

Ole Miss has the playmakers on offense and an aggressive defense that will force a young Missouri team into turnovers.

Look for the Rebels to win their fifth straight game.

Bryce Petty Has Another 5-Touchdown Game

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Bryce Petty is playing out of his mind recently, as he's scored a combined 10 touchdowns in the last two games. He's really making a strong Heisman push and doing anything he can to help keep Baylor in the national championship conversation.

This week he'll feast on Oklahoma State. The Cowboys defense allowed more than 500 yards to UTSA and Texas Tech. What in the world do you think Baylor is going to do?

Petty and the Bears are on a mission and seem to be unstoppable offensively. It doesn't matter that Oklahoma State's defense is still one of the best in the Big 12.

Nobody has been able to slow this team down and that won't change this week.

There Are 2 Defensive Touchdowns Between Michigan State-Northwestern

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Nothing like a good Big Ten defensive battle to remind you of the old days. It's no secret Michigan State has one of the better defenses in the country, but Northwestern also has a feisty bunch that has forced 22 turnovers.

Combined, these two defenses have created 32 turnovers and 49 sacks. When you have two units that are so explosive and more than capable of making game-changing plays, good things will happen.

Expect to see two defensive touchdowns, and one of those scores will make the difference in this Big Ten showdown.

Northwestern Wins

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Northwestern has to win eventually, right?

The Wildcats have lost six straight games! What makes it even worse is that they are finding more and more creative ways to lose. Two of those loses came in overtime, proving that they are at least remaining competitive and putting up a fight.

Although Michigan State does have a terrific defense, it can struggle at times to put points on the board. Northwestern is the same way; however, Kain Colter and the read-option offense have the potential to be deadly when the Wildcats need a boost.

Northwestern has to win this game in order to have a shot to qualify for a bowl. Pat Fitzgerald's team will get the job done at Ryan Field.

Memphis Upsets Louisville

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Louisville has been treading thin ice ever since the loss to UCF, as the Cardinals nearly suffered their second loss of the year to Houston. Despite its 3-6 record, Memphis won't be a cakewalk.

The Tigers have the third-best defense in the AAC and have created 17 turnovers. This type of pressure should rattle quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who has only thrown four touchdowns in the last three games.

Memphis has won two consecutive games for the first time all season. That much-needed momentum should carry over into this game and help the heavy underdogs pull off the upset. It will be only Memphis' second win over Louisville in the last nine tries.

Paul Richardson Has a 200-Yard Receiving Game

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Paul Richardson is one of the best wide receivers you may not know much about. He's having the best season of any other Colorado receiver in school history with 71 receptions, 1,201 yards and nine touchdowns.

Maybe he'll get your attention against USC.

The 6'1" junior is about as sure handed as they come and has remarkable speed. Give him a little room in the open field and he could turn a short reception into a touchdown of more than 50 yards. The Trojans secondary has been on point all season long but hasn't really run into a game-changing receiver such as Richardson.

Expect him to be targeted quite a bit in this game and don't be surprised if he has a game for the ages.

Jordan Lynch Solidifies Himself a Trip to New York

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Forget about Jameis Winston, Johnny Manziel and Marcus Mariota for a second. It's about time Jordan Lynch gets some love. No, I'm not talking about an attaboy—he deserves serious consideration for the Heisman.

Unfortunately, that will likely never come with him playing against competition that could lose to some elite high schools. But he will at least earn a trip to New York after he torches a respectable 7-3 Toledo team. It's clear Lynch is going to continue playing this game at a high level. Beating another winning program's head into the ground should finally get the respect from Heisman voters.

It won't be enough to win the award, but at least he'll be considered enough to make the trip. That's a win in itself.

Florida Has 4 Passing Touchdowns

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Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

You'd have to go back to October of last year (South Carolina) to find the last time Florida had four passing touchdowns in a single game. The Gators have had only one game all year (Arkansas) that has produced more than one touchdown pass. If you needed any more statistics to prove that this offense is Charles Barkley terrible, there you go.

Anyway, Florida should be able to throw the ball on Georgia Southern. We're talking about a school that lost to Wofford and Furman. Come on, man! Whether it's Tyler Murphy or freshman Skyler Mornhinweg, the coaching staff should open up the playbook and allow these kids to have success in the passing game.

If the box score isn't lit up with a bunch of fancy numbers, there's an even bigger problem in Gainesville than anybody could have ever imagined.

Indiana Scores 40-Plus Points vs. Ohio State

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Ohio State has won the last 18 meetings against Indiana. And while that winning streak isn't likely going to end this week (thanks to the defense), the Hoosiers will give the Buckeyes all they can handle.

Indiana may have the most explosive offense in the Big Ten, as an average of 39.1 points per game is second in the Big Ten behind only Ohio State. It has scored more than 40 points in five of the last six games. Last week's three-point performance against Wisconsin is forgivable due to the rainy weather conditions in Camp Randall Stadium.

If Ohio State allowed 35 points to Illinois and 24 to Iowa, there's no reason Indiana can't go to work and do a little scoring itself to keep the Buckeyes on their toes.

Miami Ends Its Losing Streak

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Picking Miami to beat Virginia shouldn't be considered bold. However, the Hurricanes seem shell shocked since getting destroyed by Florida State, and even lost to Duke last week. It's also important to note that the Cavaliers have beaten the Hurricanes the last three seasons.

But a win should be in the cards for Miami.

Virginia doesn't have nearly enough offensive horses to go toe-to-toe with Miami, and the game is being played in Sun Life Stadium. While that really doesn't mean much thanks to a Miami crowd that fills up only about 50 percent of the stadium, it is a lot better than going on the road where the 'Canes have suffered two of their three losses.

Al Golden and Stephen Morris will help right the ship.

Kansas State Knocks off Oklahoma

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Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Even without quarterback Collin Klein, Kansas State has been able to find ways to win and will go bowling for the fourth straight season. But before the postseason takes place, the Wildcats would love nothing more than to win a fifth straight game and knock off a ranked Oklahoma.

Congratulations.

The Sooners have proven to have two different personalities. One week they'll blow you out of the stadium, the next they'll sleepwalk through the game and allow the opponent to hang around. Kansas State is still that disciplined team that doesn't beat itself, and the defense has forced a combined 11 turnovers in the last four games.

Oklahoma will lose to Kansas State for the second straight year.

Minnesota Shocks Wisconsin

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One team I have been impressed with over the last month has been Minnesota. These aren't your typical Golden Gophers, as they are playing with confidence and seem motivated on both sides of the ball. The defensive front is severally underrated and the offense has made positive strides ever since quarterback Philip Nelson took on a larger role.

Wisconsin has been an unstoppable machine for most of the season, but a majority of those eight wins came against teams that weren't capable of fighting back. Minnesota is a tough-minded team playing for head coach Jerry Kill, and the team has also had an extra week to prepare for this game.

Don't be shocked when Minnesota beats Wisconsin for the first time since 2003.

Texas A&M-LSU Combine for 100 Points

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Go somewhere else if you were hoping to see defensive football from the SEC. When LSU and Texas A&M clash, you will get touchdown after touchdown after, well, touchdown.

Texas A&M's defense couldn't stop a nose bleed and that won't change with wide receivers Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry on the field. Texas A&M is capable of scoring on any defense in the country with Johnny Manziel throwing the ball up for grabs for Mike Evans. It also helps that LSU's defense hasn't exactly lived up to past standards this year.

Put these two teams together and you end up with a whole lot of scoring and nobody being able to stop it. You'll think you watched the Big 12 or Pac-12 when this bad boy is finally decided about five hours after kickoff.

Johnny Manziel Becomes Heisman Favorite

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Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

Johnny Manziel is still very much in the thick of the Heisman race. Although the Aggies have two losses, Manziel is completing 73 percent of his passes and has scored 39 touchdowns. With the Texas A&M defense not being able to stop anybody, last year's Heisman winner is truly the reason the Aggies are still a respectable SEC team at this point.

Manziel really needs one more monster performance to solidify his Heisman stock. A convincing win against LSU should do the trick. The Tigers are still a Top 25 team that is highly respected, and winning in Tiger Stadium is never an easy task.

Johnny Football will throw for 350 yards and score six total touchdowns.